Two men have been found guilty of stabbing a businessman to death in a botched carjacking which would only have earned them £500.

Rory Gordon, 23, and Jae'Don Fearon, 21, attacked Harjinder Singh Bhurji, 32, after he refused to hand over the keys to his treasured Mercedes SLK coupe.

The attack ended with Mr Bhurji getting stabbed in the heart, and left dying on the side of the road in Ilford, Essex, in the early hours of September 13 2011, as the pair drove off.

Rory Gordon, 23, and Jae'Don Fearon, 21, attacked Harjinder Singh Bhurji, 32, after he refused to hand over the keys to his treasured Mercedes SLK coupe

Jurors unanimously found Gordon guilty of murder at the Old Bailey, while Fearon was convicted of his manslaughter after being found not guilty of murder.

A third defendant, Andre Campbell, 23, was found guilty of a charge of handling stolen goods after exchanging the victim's iPhone for £100.

Adjourning sentencing to May 27, Judge Michael Topolski told Gordon: 'You have been convicted of a brutal murder of a innocent man.

'A brutal murder committed with a knife in the course of a commission of a crime, and all for perhaps £500.'

He said he would need to consider what minimum life sentence term to impose, adding: 'That time in circumstances such as these is a very significant one indeed.'

The attack ended with Mr Bhurji getting stabbed in the heart, and left dying on the side of the road

The trial had earlier heard that Mr Bhurji was parked in Stoneleigh Road, Ilford, talking to a female friend when the carjackers suddenly struck,.

They pulled the woman out of the vehicle and demanded the keys, which Mr Bhurji, who was proud of his car with personalised number plates, said he did not have after throwing them behind the driver's seat.

He was stabbed in the heart but was able to lean down to retrieve the keys and hand them over before he collapsed.

The Mercedes - which was fitted with a tracking device - was then driven off 'at speed' leaving Mr Bhurji dying by the road. It was later found parked neatly near Epping Forest.

Opening the trial on April 2, prosecutor Sally O'Neill QC told jurors: 'Mr Bhurji made the mistake of protesting against his car being taken.'

Fearon and Gordon were convicted after CCTV footage and mobile phone data put the pair at the scene of the murder.

Gordon drove there in a black Corsa and left in the Mercedes. Fearon then picked him up in the Corsa after the the stolen car was left to see if it would be found by police, the court heard.

Gordon, of east London, admitted stabbing Mr Bhurji and that he went to steal the car armed with a knife. But he said he did not mean to cause him serious harm and his death was an 'accident'. He admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter but denied murder.

The Mercedes - which was fitted with a tracking device - was then driven off 'at speed' leaving Mr Bhurji dying by the road. It was later found parked neatly near Epping Forest

Fearon, of Chingford, Essex, denied murder and manslaughter and said he had been smoking cannabis on the fatal night, claiming he did did not know anything about the knife or the stolen car.

A victim impact statement was read out to the court by Ms O'Neill on behalf of the family, which described Mr Bhurji as a 'humble and reserved character' who 'enjoyed life and loved to travel'.

It said Mr Bhurji had a 'passion' for cars from an early age and studied electronics before getting a job at Mercedes-Benz, where he won many awards and certificates.

He went on to realise his 'dream' of starting his own business, becoming the main breadwinner of the household so his parents did not have to continue working.

'Knife crime has got to stop,' the statement added. 'No one should have to experience the pain of losing their loved one this way.

'Rory Gordon and Jae'Don Fearon have deprived Raj and his family of the rest of his life. At 32, a healthy, intelligent man was snatched from his future his hopes and dreams.'

Detective Inspector Andy Yeats, of the Metropolitan Police's homicide and major crime command, said: 'Mr Bhurji was a loving son and brother who had everything to live for. He was a successful businessman and worked hard to provide for his family.

'Gordon and Fearon have no concept of hard work. They spotted Mr Bhurji's car and decided they would take it by force without a single thought for the devastating consequences.

'Mr Bhurji's female friend was threatened with a knife before Mr Bhurji was stabbed through the heart without any chance of defending himself.

'We can only hope that today's result offers the family of Mr Bhurji some solace.'

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Businessman stabbed to death in carjacking that would have earned killers just £500